He is still travelling in a private executive jet, but has a population at home of 90% walking barefoot.

Yet this Excellency may be trying to compete with Reagan and Golbachev to show that he, too, is an Excellency"

This is a verbatim extract of the speech Mr Museveni made on the steps of Uganda Parliament, after being sworn in as president on 26th Jan 1986.

Mr Museveni has just arrived in New York for this year's (2016) United Nations General Assembly meeting in the latest model of Gulf Stream 5 Executive Presidential Jet. This is more than 30 years when he made that speech!

Not only has he left home a barefoot population, but some are dying of hunger! 84% youth are unemployed; 19 women are dying, needlessly, in childbirth daily; young doctors (interns) are on strike because they aren't paid; an epidemic of jiggers looms in parts of the country; 75% children drop out of primary schools due to pathetic state of education standards etc, etc.

In 1986, I, too, stood at the stairs of parliament as Mr M7 swore-in as president and made that speech. Back then, we were found of saying, rightly, that shame is a revolutionary sentiment.

I'll not just be ashamed at having been a part of the "pathetic spectacle" that we continue to witness, I'll not rest until it's overcome. That's the least that I can do.

The exensive

Internet Revolution should get cheaper for the African poor citizens on the African continent:

SUNDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2015

BY INDEPENDENT REPORTER

December 4. 2016 INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA

Cost of unlimited Internet access in Kampala could drop to as low as Shs 1,000 a day

Only a small fraction of Ugandans is connected to the Internet, with the vast majority losing out on the immense opportunities that the Internet is providing to billions of people worldwide.

Currently, the total number of internet users in Uganda is estimated at just over 6.8 million in a population of about 40 million. Compared with the voice penetration of 53%, data penetration is still very low at just 25%, according to data from the Uganda Communications Commission.

The poor accessibility rates are mainly attributed to high cost and poor network coverage. However, this is now bound to change for the better after technology giant Google launched Project Link in Uganda to bring faster and world-class Internet services.

Following the successful completion of a metro fiber network in Kampala city, the company has launched a Wi-Fi ‘hotzone’ network to improve the quality and affordability of wireless access, geared towards meeting the bandwidth demands of Kampala’s growing number of smart phone owners. In partnership with Roke Telecom, more than 100 hotzones, dubbed ‘Rokespots,’ have been launched around Kampala where users can access affordable and high speed mobile internet connections.

In recent years, telecom giants MTN Uganda, Airtel, Smile telecom, Africell and Vodafone have also invested heavily in setting up 4G infrastructure. MTN Uganda in particular has already unveiled its extensive 4G network countrywide, extending the latest broadband technology to major towns – totaling more than 75 4G network sites, in addition to thousands of 2G and 3G.

Google is also venturing into providing wholesale last-mile Wi-Fi access with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) like MTN to leverage on its fibre infrastructure to bring high-quality Wi-Fi to homeowners, small businesses and mobile users on-the-go.

Speaking at the launch on Dec.03, 2015, Roke Telkom officials said the initiative is helping to connect more people to fast and affordable broadband Internet.

The Wi-Fi hotzone network is helping to equip MNOs and ISPs with shared infrastructure that they desperate need to deliver improved services to end users. Ela Beres, who heads the Wi-Fi effort, said with the help of Project Link’s new Wi-Fi hotzone network, ISPs around Kampala would have access to shared infrastructure that can help them enhance their Wi-Fi services and meet the bandwidth needs of the city dwellers. He added that local providers can use the new network to bring Wi-Fi to people on-the-go in the city’s busiest locations such as the taxi parks, hostels, shopping malls, pubs, restaurants and arcades.

Roger Sekaziga, the Roke Telkcom CEO, said Uganda has lately experienced phenomenal growth in demand for Internet, fuelled by the advent of low-cost smart phones.

“Project Link’s Wi-Fi network allows us to deliver cheaper and more reliable Wi-Fi service to a quickly-growing, often underserved market segment,” he added. To owners of the facilities, cheap high speed internet offers more opportunities for customers. The service has different price categories, ranging from Shs 1,000 per day to Shs 18,000 per month.

Officials said going forward, the company plans to install wifi on all public transport vehicles. For Roke Telkom, which has been in operation for over ten years, the partnership with Google to implement Project Link could give it a big headway in the data market place. Google, which started as a search engine over two decades ago, has over the years emerged as a global technology giant. Its push in developing countries has seen it test out innovative ways of ameliorating connectivity challenges. With the introduction of 3G and LTE networks, the company is targeting to provide the ‘last-mile’ link to connect remote locations to the fiber networks that connect countries and whole continents.

Since Uganda was connected to the sea cables seven years ago, prices of international bandwidth have fallen compared to the last decade, but the retail tariffs of broadband have remained relatively out of reach for millions of potential internet users.

But as mobile phone devices evolve thus giving consumers various services beyond voice and text messages, data has over time become a key frontier for telecom companies as consumers take advantage of cheaper means of communication over more convenient social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and to deliver audio, video, and other media content over the Internet.

On a wider scale, the implementers of Project Link see it as causing a revolution in how whole industries and sectors operate and how services are provided to the citizens.- See more at: http://www.

independent.co.ug

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Poor African governments seem to find it as a way of collecting easy money as tax from this technology.

Milking the cow without giving it pasture.

Ongwen, the Freedom fighter or The modern African Liberation bush fighter. His trial now is under the I.C.Court. This European Court of universal human rights has named three judges to preside over this African case.

Mr Ongwen of the Acholi tribe of Northern Uganda.

By Yasiin Mugerwa

Posted Thursday, January 22 2015

Kampala, Uganda-

A day after Dominic Ongwen, a top Christian-Catholic LRA commander, was transferred to The Hague to face charges for a variety of war crimes, the International Criminal Court named three high profile judges to handle his trial.

The ICC presidency yesterday named a Bulgarian judge with a decade-long experience in international criminal law, a Belgian judge with a background in international and comparative criminal law, and an experienced Italian prosecutor to form a three-person coram.

Daily Monitor understands that one of the Judges (Trendafilova) was the Presiding Judge in the previous proceedings in the situations of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the neighbouring Kenya; the Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo and the Prosecutor v. William Ruto et al, respectively.

The government this week announced that international lawyers had approached it showing interest to represent Ongwen, who recently surrendered to the American troops in Central African Republic.

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda yesterday said in a statement, Ongwen’s transfer to The Hague brings the court one step closer to ending the LRA’s reign of terror in the African Great Lakes region.

She said the LRA has reportedly killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people, terrorised civilians, abducted children and forced them to kill and serve as sex slaves. They have hacked off limbs and horribly disfigured men, women and children.

“My investigation demonstrates that Dominic Ongwen served as a high ranking commander within the LRA and that he is amongst those who bear the greatest responsibility for crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC,” Ms Fatou Bensouda stated.

She added: “I urge all others [rebels] that still remain within LRA ranks to abandon violence; stop committing crimes, and follow the bold steps of others before you,”

Governments hailed

On behalf of the Court, the Registrar of the ICC, Mr Herman von Hebel ,yesterday applauded Ongwen’s transfer to The Hague and sought to assure the victims of the 21-year-insurgency in northern Uganda that in order to dispense justice all efforts will made to ensure that they get a lawyer who will tell their story.

He saluted “the persistent efforts” of the government of Uganda, the government of the Central African Republic, the Uganda People’s Defense Force, the African Union Regional Task Force who all put pressure on the rebels until Ongwen’s surrender.

We shall not cater for Ongwen’s children - ICC:

Ongwen’s relatives at their home in Coo-rom village in Lamgoi Sub-county.

PHOTO BY JULIUS OCUNGI

By JULIUS OCUNGI

Posted Saturday, February 7 2015

AT GULU, UGANDA.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Field Outreach Coordinator for Kenya and Uganda, Ms Maria Mabinty Kamara, has rejected calls by relatives of indicted LRA commander Dominic Ongwen to cater for his children.

Ms Kamara was responding to a question during a press briefing in Gulu Town on Wednesday on whether the ICC would help Ongwen’s family. She said ICC can only, at an appropriate time under the rules of the court, facilitate the family to visit Ongwen at The Hague.

Ongwen is among the top five LRA commanders who were indicted by the ICC in 2005 for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Others are LRA leader Joseph Kony and his deputies: Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, and Raska Lukwiya.

Ongwen, who surrendered early last month in Central African Republic (CAR), appeared in the dock at the ICC on January 26, where seven counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes were read against him.

His relatives had earlier asked the Uganda government and ICC to cater for his children.

One of his brothers, Mr Christopher Kilama, said the family was overwhelmed with the burden of taking care of Ongwen’s four children because they have their own.

However, Ms Kamara said the ICC has a trust fund which has been providing interim assistance to victims of the LRA war but not their relatives. She said the ICC has established at least 18 projects in the region under the Victims Trust Fund.

“Over 40 million people in the region benefited from the trust fund. Some of them were provided with microfinance, prosthetic, and plastic surgery, especially for mutilated victims,” said Ms Kamara.

She said Mr Ongwen’s relatives can only be assisted to visit him at The Hague at an appropriate time.

who is ongwen?

• Said to have been abducted by LRA, aged 10, as he walked to school in northern Uganda

• Rose to become a top commander

• Accused of crimes against humanity, including enslavement

• ICC issued arrest warrant in 2005

• Rumoured to have been killed in the same year

• US offered $5m (£3.3m) reward for information leading to his arrest in 2013.

Members of Parliament in Uganda have asked the government to borrow Ugx 600b to clear Court awards:

The sitting of the Parliament of Uganda

14 April, 2018

By the Independent

Kampala, Uganda: Members of Parliament sitting on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee have asked government to borrow up to 600 billion shillings to clear outstanding Court awards.

While meeting officials from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs led by the Justice Minister Kahinda Otafiire, the legislators learnt that the ministry does not have a strategy to clear the outstanding Court awards arising from civil cases currently standing at a tune of 676 billion shillings.

This is after Otafiire told the committee that the ministry needs nine billion shillings every financial year to clear the bill.

The money accumulated over 10 years and this arises mainly from civil cases ruled in favour of people or entities and compensations awarded.

Committee chairperson, West Budama South MP Jacob Oboth Oboth, noted that government requires 74 years to clear the 676 billion shillings at a rate of nine billion shillings per year which is almost impossible.

He recommended that government should seek a loan and clear the huge figure of Court awards which is attracting interest and costly to the government.

Otafiire pleaded with parliament to devise means of helping government to punish errant government officers whose indiscipline and character has caused government financial loss.

Otafiire told the committee that the ministry’s main remedy to Court awards accumulation is to have more State Attorneys, judges, judicial officers and prosecutors whose inadequate number has been contributing to government loss of cases hence Court awards.

The committee members asked the ministry to provide a list of court awards that originate from all government agencies.

Solomon Muyita, the Judiciary spokesperson, says in some cases government breaches terms of contract and they are made to pay, while in others Court orders Government to pay.

He says awards from Uganda Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) for victims of human rights violations are also what contributes to the huge amounts.

“When Court awards someone, it takes long because Government has to pay this money in phases, and so you find someone going five to ten years without getting compensated. And the money Government releases to the Ministry is never enough,” says Muyita.

The Government of Uganda is begging the two-weeks striking judicial officers to resume work:

September 4, 2017

Written by URN

Government has appealed to the striking judicial officials to return to work as it works out modalities to address their concerns.

Last week, judges and magistrates laid down their tools to compel government give them a pay rise and improve their working conditions.

The judicial officers under the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA) started the strike after government failed to honour a commitment to increase their salaries.

They want the salary of the Chief Justice to be increased to Shs 55 million from the Shs 20 million and from Shs 18 million to Shs 53 million for the Deputy Chief Justice. They are also suggesting an increment for the principal judge from the current Shs 10 million to Shs 50 million.

According to their demands, the lowest paid magistrate should earn at least Shs 13 million per month, they also demand to be given medical insurance, housing and fuel allowances.

Minister Kahinda Otafiire addressing judges recently

The Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, General Kahinda Otafiire, says high level consultations have been conducted between the executive, the judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission to address concerns of the judicial officers and other groups.

"Cabinet directed the ministry of Public Service to develop a comprehensive pay policy to harmonize the pay across government. This exercise is expected to be concluded by October 2017," he said while addressing journalists at the media center this afternoon.

He explained that in the medium term government will focus on providing housing for judicial officers and review their emoluments.

"In the medium term, government will focus on providing housing to judicial officers and review their emoluments in tandem with other public servants. Therefore, government appeals to all judicial officers to return to work as government addresses their concerns and that of other public officers. Government further appeals to the other public officers who are demanding for salary enhancement to be patient as government fast-tracks the harmonisation pay across government", he said.

He also disclosed that government is fast tracking the enactment of the Administration of the Judiciary Bill, 2016 to enhance the administration of the judiciary as another arm of government.

"The bill is before cabinet and is almost complete. There are a few issues which, will be reviewed by next week so that it's sent back to Parliament for consideration," he said.

Nb

Are all these Lower judges and magistrates fighting for the few upper echelon judges to have their salaries increased from about 18 million to 50 million? No wonder going to the courts of law these days in this country is beyond the common man' legal refugee!

IN UGANDA, THE MILITARY CHRISTIAN POLICE CONSTANTLY RAIDING ISLAMIC MOSQUES, IS CAUSING FRICTION BETWEEN THE RULING CLASS:

January 9, 2017

Written by JOHNSON TAREMWA & SIRAJE LUBWAMA

Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura had no answers for President Museveni, after the NRM Chairman for Lubaga Division, Hajji Abdul Kitata, accused him before the president of acting on flawed intelligence at a State House, Entebbe meeting on January 3.

During the heated meeting, Kitata, a city businessman who gained his political capital by mobilising boda boda riders for Museveni during the campaigns, told the president that Kayihura acted on flawed intelligence information to sanction last month’s police raids on Nakasero and Kiwatule mosques.

According to sources who attended the highly charged meeting, Kitata and Kayihura clashed as they briefed the president on the police raids and subsequent arrest of Muslims found in the mosques. The meeting was also attended by some NRM Muslim leaders and officials of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).

Interviewed at the weekend, Kitata confirmed attending the State House meeting but declined to divulge details of what was discussed.

“It is true [that] after the raid on Nakasero and Kiwatule mosques [in December] by police, we held a meeting with President Museveni and several things were talked about,” he said.

Our sources, however, said that after the police raids and the subsequent proclamation by the police chief that his men acted on a tip off that the two city mosques could provide useful clues to the November murder by shooting of Sheikh Muhammad Kiggundu, President Museveni called Kayihura and some Muslim leaders to State house to hear both sides.

The Inspector General of the Military Police of Uganda, General, Kale Kayihura had no answers when pressed on police mosque raids

According to sources, during the meeting, Hajji Kitata asked Kayihura to produce the evidence linking the 14 Muslims arrested and held at the highly fortified headquarters of the Police Flying Squad (Violent Crime Unit) in Nalufenya, Jinja, to the murder of Maj. Kiggundu.

“Afande Kayihura on 28th December while addressing the press at police headquarters in Naguru, you said that police raided Nakasero mosque after getting intelligence that there was information linking [the mosques] to the murder of Maj Kiggundu, so bring it to us,” a source quoted Kitata as having said.

The source further said that Kitata also accused Kayihura of raiding the city mosques without informing the Muslim leaders.

“Afande Kale we have done a lot of things with you. Why didn’t you consult us before raiding the mosques so that we give our side because we are members of those mosques,” Kitata reportedly said.

Sources said that a furious Kitata also accused the police chief of using false information from his commanders to raid the mosques.

“Afande Kale, some of your commanders will wake up one day and tell you that Kitata has killed someone and you will raid my home and arrest me without verifying the information. If this is the way you are doing your things, me I’m done with you,” Kitata reportedly said.

In response, Kayihura, according to sources, told Kitata that if he receives intelligence information from his commanders, he has to act very fast.

“I received intelligence from my commanders and I had to act very fast to make sure that we get the information,” Kayihura reportedly said, adding that a gun, rounds of ammunitions, magazines and some documents were recovered through the raid.

Kitata reportedly asked Kayihura to produce the gun and rounds of ammunitions, which he [Kayihura] didn’t do, prompting Kitata to storm out of the meeting.

Sources, however, told us that the recovered gun from Nakasero mosque belonged to the Late Maj Kiggundu. When Kitata stormed out of the meeting, President Museveni reportedly asked Kayihura to dig deeper and verify his information against the suspects.

The president reportedly asked Kayihura to screen all suspects. The innocent ones, he said, should be released, and those linked to the murder of Kiggundu, charged.

KAYIHURA MEETS COMMANDERS

After the State House meeting, Kayihura reportedly met his commanders and tasked them to provide hard evidence linking all 14 suspects to the murder of Kiggundu.

During the meeting, Kayihura reportedly asked Mwesigwa to provide evidence linking the 14 suspects to the murder of Kiggundu. Mwesigwa reportedly failed to produce the evidence and said he got his tips from his juniors.

Kayihura was also told by his crime intelligence and investigation officers that they had no case file on the 14 suspects arrested from Nakasero mosque.

“Afande, we don’t have the file of the Muslims because they were arrested by Flying Squad officers and detained at Nalufenya,” a source quoted Johnson Dele Olal as having told Kayihura.

Insiders added that when Kayihura asked Muhangi to explain, he said he knew nothing about the 14 suspects. He said the suspects were taken to Nalufenya by Kampala Metropolitan police.

Muhangi said he could only link four suspects to the murder of Maj. Kiggundu.

“Afande, I have scientific evidence pinning the four on the Kiggundu murder and it will help us when they [suspects] appear in court but the rest I don’t have their facts,” Muhangi reportedly told Kayihura.

Without hard evidence, Kayihura ordered the immediate release of the 14 suspects.

MINISTER NADULI ROLE

Another State House source told us on January 6 that when the Muslim leadership wrote a letter condemning the police raids on mosques, Al hajji Abdul Nadduli, the minister without portfolio, sought an appointment with the president.

“On December 13, Nadduli went to State House with the Tabliq sect secretary Ayub Nyende to try and convince Museveni that police was actually acting on wrong information,” the source said.

Nyende was arrested the following day, after meeting the president. Nyende and a dozen other Muslims were taken to Nalufenya police station.Nadduli was among officials of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council that openly criticised Kayihura in the aftermath of the police raids.

According to Ismail Kasibante, a boda boda cyclist who was arrested and released later, he was tortured and forced by policemen to take them to where Nyende was. Interviewed on January 5 Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Emillian Kayima denied the torture claims.

WHO IS KITATA

Abdul Kitata, an outspoken NRM activist, was the mastermind of the boda boda 2010 group that mobilised political support for President Museveni in Lubaga division and other parts of Kampala.

In 2011, Kitata became chairman of the NRM Youth League in Lubaga Division and in 2016 he became the NRM Chairperson of Lubaga division.

These nice NRM diehard moslem rulers must work hard indeed for Justice in Uganda to be free and fair because this is a determined African government that is set to get out of the International Criminal Court that sits in Christian Europe, in the Hague, Netherlands. Indeed Moslem citizens all over the world respect the Islamic Human rights Legal Principles.